Welcome to Our Library
John L. Haar Library
Located on Treaty 6 territory and considered the heart of campus, John L. Haar Library spans two city blocks and two floors. As of 2020, we are proud to include Writing and Learning Services in our space and as part of our team.
The Library is here to support you in your academic work through our online and print collections, inclusive spaces, and teaching and research supports.
Visit our hours page or contact us for more information about our services and spaces.
Vision and Mission
Vision
Your place to learn, engage, and discover.
Mission
Welcoming and student-centred, the Library advances the learning, teaching, scholarly, and creative endeavours of the university community.
Our innovative services, knowledgeable staff, and extensive collections contribute to student success, fostering open-minded, critical thinkers capable of navigating our information-rich world with confidence.
Our People
John L. Haar Library employs over 50 staff and faculty librarians who are here to support you in your teaching, learning, and research at MacEwan. Our people ensure you have reliable access to our extensive collections and teach the skills and knowledge needed to navigate the vast amount of information available to you.
Need to get in contact with someone? Try the Library Directory.
Our Namesake
John L. Haar Library is named after MacEwan University’s first president (John Haar, President 1971–1981). The Library officially became the John L. Haar Library on September 1, 2016 and hosted a naming event on February 15, 2017.
Stephanie Haar (Haar’s daughter) at the Library’s naming ceremony, February 15, 2017
The name change was prompted by the closure of the University’s Centre for the Arts and Communications. The theatre in that building was commonly known as “The Haar” and with its closure, the University wanted to include Haar’s name at City Centre Campus.
John Haar was described as an individual who knew industry, understood students of every description, was able to “pull his weight in political areas” and understood the community college concept (Ruhl, 1995, p. 31). During his ten years as president, the College grew from two small makeshift campuses with 410 students in 16 programs, to three campuses with 2,417 full time equivalent students enrolled in 26 diploma and 17 certificate programs (p. 80). Upon his retirement, Haar stated he had given the College as much as he could in the past ten years:
The foundation has been put down, we have recruited some very good staff and recorded growth patterns. That has provided me with a good degree of satisfaction. (p. 79)
John L. Haar, Grant MacEwan Community College President, 1971-1981
Haar was known to have an extensive personal library collection and, after his retirement, he donated many materials to the University Library.
On May 20, 1982, only one year after his retirement, Haar died suddenly at the age of 62.
Reference
Ruhl, G. D. (1995). Grant MacEwan Community College: The first two decades, a retrospective. Grant MacEwan Community College https://archive.org/details/grantmacewancomm00ruhl